First time listening to Klipsch speakers - WOW! and a question or two

[Ultra-Hog]

I just picked up a pair of Klipsch KG 3.5 speakers in great shape at a yard sale ($80/pr). I grabbed them after reading various favorable posts about Klipsch speakers on AK. I have never listened to any Klipsch model until today and I really don't know anything about the rest of the product line. I have to say that I am very impressed. I did look very quickly at the Klipsch web site and it appears that these are far from the top of the line, but wow, do they ever sound great! :yes: I don't understand how Klipsch can deliver such clean sound from only a 2-way speaker, especially when compared to so many other speakers. I will be reading this forum and doing more research to learn more. I think I am on the verge of being a Klipsch convert.

My question for members that have experience with the KG-3.5s and other Klipsch models is, is there a dramatic increase in quality when comparing the 3.5s to models that originally cost 2 to as much as 3 times as much as the 3.5 originally did? The key word here is "dramatic". Of course I do expect models that cost two or three times as much to sound better but it is that diminishing return thing that so often makes spending so much more so difficult to justify when the cheaper model is so good. Comparing the 3.5s to anything that costs ten times as much is not in the same ball park so that is not a comparison that I am looking for help with. I think that I have a pretty good idea what the answer to that one is.

The reason for my question is that I am searching for speakers for use as my primary system speakers for the living room. Since I am enjoying the journey of rediscovering vintage audio I am not so sure that I ever will settle for any one particular model but I could benefit from some direction from those with experience.

If it helps, I listen to Classic Rock, Jazz, some new-age, some classical and (c)rap. Just kidding on that last one! I have a variety of receivers and amps but I probably will use my Marantz 4300 until I have my Fisher 500C rebuilt. The source material is either vinyl or CDs from a low-end CD player at present.

[jay]

Ultra-hog, I'm standing in your boots almost exactly!
I sure like my 3.2's for the bedroom system. In the larger room main system, they show a midrange dip and a pronounced "plasticy" coloration from the woofers, but in the bedroom system, it's pure pleasure. It must have something to do with room gain, tube amp, or whatever, but sound so good in there that they displaced my previous favorites, JBL monitors.

Now, for some bigger Klipsch's for the front room.....hmm.....will it the RB/RF series, or Heritage??

[rcarlton]

Heritage. No going back now.

[jcmjrt]

Rcarlton's right - heritage - especially if you are going to have tubes to connect like the Fisher 500 (you'll be happy with that when it's rebuilt). Of course, most of them are large except for the Heresy. I was pretty skeptical about the size and having a speaker so large until I heard them. Now they just dominate the room and I live with it because it sounds so good.

[silversport]

...sure...start with your kg 3.5s...then get kg4...Heresy...Quartet...Forte'...Chorus...Cornwal l...LaScala...Belle Klipsch...Klipschorns...seriously...you have some fine speakers...if you dig the kg sound you will like the other vintage series as well (Legend etc.) you will need to do some rooting about in the Klipsch Forum celler with the search function...as to the Heritage line...Tubes bring them to life...sound great with SS but I think...WOW...with Tubes...enjoy...
Bill

[Ultra-Hog]

...sure...start with your kg 3.5s...then get kg4...Heresy...Quartet...Forte'...Chorus...Cornwal l...LaScala...Belle Klipsch...Klipschorns...Bill
Now there's an excellent idea! :D I'm not so sure that my wife will think so but I sure like the idea!

Thanks for the tips everyone. This is really starting to get quite good now. I connected the Klipsch's to the "B" outputs on the Marantz 4300 and did an A-B comparison with my very much liked Realistic T-200 speakers (2X10" + 5" mid + tweeter). The Klipsch's were brighter and more efficient. The bass was stronger on the T-200s but the room settings with the pairs facing each other as in a front - rear setting are far from ideal for either pair. The sound that was produced when both pairs were on was outstanding. I had previously had a pair of KLH-6s and a pair or Sansui SP-2000s connected where the 3.5s were. The recapped KLHs were OK, the Recapped Sansui's were awful, but the Klipschs really were no comparison. To be fair, the klipsch speakers probably cost more than both of the other pairs combined.

Thank's again! :music:

[bentpencil]

You're experiencing the exact same thing I just recently did. I have had HPM100s hooked up to my Sansui system for years, and recently (in August) found a pair of KG4s for $100. Like you, having heard all the good about Klipscch, I decided to give them a shot. My A-B test produced the same results as yours. Both sets of speakers performed quite well by themselves, but together, they made the room come alive. Now for some Khorns...........................

[gonzp]

Once you go Heritage, there is no turning back :music:

[cubdog]

Once you go Heritage, there is no turning back :music:
Tease.

cubdog

[jay]

...Heresy...Quartet...Forte'...Chorus...Cornwall.. .LaScala...Belle Klipsch...Klipschorns...


Ok guys, seriously, I am looking to step up from 3.2's, so of your above list, which DON"T have a rear or side firing port or woofer? I have a modest sized room and can't place anything too far from the walls.

Jay

[jcmjrt]

The Cornwall was named that because it can live against a wall or in a corner. The speaker is rather large though. The Forte and Chorus have a rear passive radiator...at least the IIs do.

[Ultra-Hog]

I picked up this today to power my new found Klipsch speakers. :banana: I guess that one could say that it was a good weekend for hunting vintage audio gear. :D

I probably will post some questions in the Pioneer forum once I have had a chance to work with it for a while. I haven't had the opportunity to connect the Klipsch speakers to it yet but I can't wait. The speakers pictured beside the rack are a pair of JBL speakers that have lived a hard life. They need to be re-foamed and the cabinets ned to be refinished. They came with the rack system.

[jay]

Cool, a nice Pioneer system and JBL L36's!! They ought to sound fine together!! Quite a score! Get some new surrounds for the 125A woofers and let 'er rip!

Jay

[whamo]

A friend of mine likened us klipsch folks to trekkies.He meant it as a sort of insult. But I don't care I love my heritage speakers and there is not a day that goes by when I don't think of aquiring or upgrading my collection. If I were you I would look for some used heresys for starters they can be found cheap. Mark

[pmsummer]

A friend of mine likened us klipsch folks to trekkies.

Here's my KlipschCon costume.

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/9153/pwktinshedprintsg7.gif

[whamo]

He does look kind of sinister lol.

[BULLWINKLE]

A really great combination is adding a pair of Heresy's to those KG 3.5's. I was really suprised at how good it sounded. The Heresies clarified the mids and highs while the 3.5's filled in the bass nicely.

[BuckNaked]

Up the food chain from the 3.5 you might want to look at the KLF-20 and the RF-5.
Since you are solid state, you may even like a pair of KSF-10.5's.
I have a surround system based on the KG 3.2, 2.2v center with 2.2 rears and a SW10II sub all in oiled oak... visually and acoustically appealing. The 3.5's are stored for the time being, next to the 1.2 wo and 1.5 oo.
I did run a pair of KSF-10.5's on my Yamaha cr-1020 and later an sx-950. Now that is one powerful speaker.
You're on to something now. The Heritage line is better suited to tube and class-A, but the right pair of Heresy's will rock your world.

[rcarlton]

Snip The Heritage line is better suited to tube and class-A, but the right pair of Heresy's will rock your world.

I disagree...the Heritage line sounds terrific with both solid state and tube amps :music: .

[BuckNaked]

You aren't disagreeing at all. I was simply offering another upgrade path. It's the Heresy reference interpretation. I did say they would rock...

[Coytee]

. The Heritage line is better suited to tube and class-A, but the right pair of Heresy's will rock your world.

I'm with Ron.

I've had my Heritage (LaScalas, Khorns and now Jubilees) hooked up from Wright 2A3 amps, Transcendent SE-OTL's, MC-30's, MC-2102, to a bridged 450 x 2 dbx BX1 solid state.

Now that I re-read that (what Bucky said), maybe we ARE saying the same thing. If you are saying Heritage is better suited for class A, than the NON heritage lineup, then I guess we do agree.

If you are trying to infer that class A is the be all, end all for Heritage, then I don't agree.

Did we agree that we agree? :scratch2:

:banana: :D

[kfalls]

If I remember correctly the KG3.x are very similar to the Kg4s. I've had mine for around 20 years. They're still in great shape and I don't plan to give them up. I have them matched with a KV3 and RS-3 front and rear surrounds. I have a larger, much more expensive system. It sounds different and I enjoy it, but I can't say one or the other system is "better".

[scooterdog]

Ohhh I love my Heritage! La Scala's as my mains and Heresy's as my side surrounds

scooter

[Tom Brennan]

"Once you go Heritage, there is no turning back"

Perhaps. But one can still go forward.